STATE TIMES NEWS
Poonch: The Department of Tourism (J&K) and District Administration Poonch organized the Jabbi Virsa Folk Festival to promote tourism in the Peer Panjal region.
The festival was flagged off from Jabbi Base Camp by DDC Chairperson, Tazim Akhter, Deputy Commissioner, Yasin M. Choudhary, DDC Chairperson Mandi, Shamim Gnai, Senior Superintendent of Police Vinay Sharma in the presence of CEO Poonch Dev. Authority, Dr. Mohd Tanveer Culture Officer, Dr. Alamdar Adam and all district officers.
In the base camp of Jabbi, the Social Forestry Department, under the supervision of DFO Social Forestry, Naveed Iqbal started a plantation drive, in which chairperson District Development Council Poonch, Deputy Commissioner Poonch, and Senior Superintendent of Police planted a tree.
The festival featured local artists presenting folk lore, Geets, Baits, and other cultural activities. The event was a great success and highlighted the beauty and potential of the Peer Panjal region for tourism.
The festival was a part of the one-day trekking expedition from Jabbi Base Camp to Jabbi Toti Top, which saw the participation of over 1000 local trekkers who explored the natural beauty of Jabbi Base Camp and Jabbi Toti.
During the trekking tour, the DDC Chairperson, Tazim Akhter, Deputy Commissioner Poonch, Yasin M. Choudhary, BDC Chairperson, Mandi, Shamim Gani, Senior Superintendent of Police, Vinay Sharma, CEO Poonch Dev. Authority, Dr. Mohd. Tanveer, and District Culture Officer, Dr. Alamdar Adam, along with various District Administration Officers, took part in the trekking tour.
Deputy Commissioner expressed his great happiness and appealed to the people to maintain this beauty made by nature and keep it clean and assured that the district administration will also contribute fully to develop it.
The festival and trek also featured a cricket match between Rahul Dravid Cricket Academy and Arai Cricket Club in Jabbi Toti Top, where the Deputy Commissioner interacted with the players.
The local trekkers expressed their gratitude to the District Administration Poonch, Poonch Development Authority, and Academy of Art Culture and Languages Rajouri, for making them a part of the camp and highlighting the potential of tourism in the region.
The Jabbi Virsa Folk Festival was an excellent addition to the trekking expedition and helped in promoting the rich cultural heritage of the region to a wider audience.
